The Stargazers' Guide
by Sirens And Muses
Summary: "A human life is far too short to count them all..." All the stories Kratos told Lloyd about the stars. Rated K because meh.
1. 1-3: Orion, Canis Major, & Canis Minor

**Siren: So, how about Muse and I are clearing out old flashdrives, and we found a bunch of half-written stories from waaaaay long ago.**

**Muse: (clicks) This file is labeled "Kratosyuanmakeoutsession." Funnily enough, I don't recall writing that one...**

**Siren: Ah, you always had a bad memory. Anyway, we found the beginning of this chapter and decided to turn it into our next project.**

**Muse: We haven't finished any of our other ones yet-**

**Siren: Shut up, Muse. Keeping looking through files!**

**Muse:(clicks)...This is an entire four page list of That's What She Said jokes.**

**Siren: Disclaimer!**

**(poof) Random Christmas Elf: Um, did you forget something?**

**Siren: Oh, yeah...Merry Christmas, everyone!**

**R.C.E.: Sirens & Muses don't own ToS. (hits Siren with candy cane) Get your shit together! (poof)**

**Muse: (clicks) This is labeled "A Metric Fuckton Of Awesome," and...is directions to a Lenscrafters.**

**Siren: Ow...my head hurts...that elf was mean...**

* * *

In his travels, Kratos had learned to notice the little things. As he, Anna, and Lloyd stopped to set up camp at sundown, he noticed that the sky was clear. Not a cloud in sight. It would be a good night for stargazing.

After his wife and son had fallen asleep, Kratos settled on the ground, flat on his back, and stared upwards. In his head, he repeated the familiar names of the patterns in the sky. It was peaceful and silent, a nice break from all of the craziness that surrounded him sometimes.

"Daddy?" Kratos jerked his head around to see his tiny, toddler of a son walking towards him on shaky legs. "Daddy, you should be seepin'!"

Kratos sat upright and picked Lloyd up. "So should you," he said softly, brushing a spike of hair out of the boy's face. "Come on, bedtime."

Lloyd squinted and pointed a chubby finger up to the sky. "Whatcha always lookin' at?"

"The stars."

Lloyd tilted his head. "They're pretty. Can I look at them, too?"

"It's late, Lloyd, you need to be in bed."

"Just one minutes," he begged his father.

"…Alright." Lloyd crawled next to Kratos as he leaned back in the grass. The older man's arm curled protectively around the little boy.

"Daddy? Why you always lookin' at the stars?" Lloyd asked.

"Because they're beautiful," Kratos answered. "Simple and orderly, and so numerous a human being can never count them all, no matter how long he lives."

"Wha?"

Kratos chuckled. "I like the pictures they make."

Lloyd gasped in wonder. "There's picters? Where?"

"Look up there." Kratos pointed and said, "Do you see those three stars in a row?" Lloyd nodded. "What do the ones around them look like?"

"Um…" Lloyd closed one eye and stared. "Big ol' dots," he answered.

"Do you see the person?" Kratos outlined the picture with his finger. "He's holding one hand above his head and the other one in front of him."

"Oh, I see 'im! And he's wearing a pants thing!"

"A…what?" Lloyd tugged on his father's belt. "Oh, a belt. Yes, he is."

"Yeah, just like you!"

Kratos smiled. "That's Orion, an ancient hunter."

"What's he doin' up there?"

"Well, you see," Kratos began, "Orion was a great hunter."

"Like you?" Lloyd chirped.

"Sort of. Orion was hunting one day, with his dogs, when he came across a scorpion."

Lloyd poked his head up. "Wha's a skwerpin, daddy?"

"It's a…big bug that stings people. The scorpion stung Orion and killed him. The Goddess, who cared so much for the great hunter, lifted him up into the sky and placed him in the stars. If you look very closely, you can see his two dogs, a big one…" Kratos pointed them out to his son, "…and a little one."

"Wow."

"And way over there," Kratos added, pointing to the south, "is the scorpion that killed him."

Lloyd frowned. "I don' see anythin'."

"That's because he's on the other side of the world." Kratos shifted back to see his son. "They are in the sky at different times, so the scorpion cannot catch Orion."

"Good!" Lloyd snuggled against his father's chest. "Hey, Daddy?" he asked.

"What, Lloyd?"

"If I learn to hunt as good as Star-Guy, can I go up there, too?"

Kratos smiled. "Perhaps."

"And you'll havda come see me. Come see me up in the stars, 'kay, Daddy? Promise."

"I promise." Kratos lifted the little boy. "It's bedtime, Lloyd. Let's go to sleep."

"But I want to hear another story," Lloyd whined. "Tell me one more."

"Not tonight," Kratos said firmly, setting him down on the blanket next to his mother. "Maybe if you're good, I'll tell you some more star stories tomorrow night."

"There's more?" Lloyd's eyes widened in excitement. "Wow! How many, Daddy?"

"Eighty-eight."

"I can't even count that big!" Lloyd said, peering upwards. "Do they all have names?"

"Yes." Kratos watched as Lloyd fell backwards, his face still frozen in awe. "Alright, under the covers. Goodnight, Lloyd."

"Goonite, Daddy," Lloyd said. "Goonite, Star-Guy," he added, waving. "See you tomorrow!"

As the boy drifted off to sleep, Kratos didn't have the heart to tell him that come tomorrow, it would be too bright to see the constellations.


	2. 4: Gemini

**Siren: Hey, look, an update!**

**Muse:...Can I go to sleep yet?**

**Siren: No. To answer Tiger 002's question, sort of? There are 88 constellations, but we put some of them together in groups. Like Orion, Canis Major, and Canis Minor count for three constellations, but only one chapter. So...not quite 88, but close enough!**

**Muse: I'm just gonna take a nap on your floor. (lays down)**

**Siren: Have a good time. Disclaimer!**

**(poof) Russel Crowe: Sirens & Muses don't own ToS. Go see Les Mis.**

**Siren: I thought you were a pretty good singer.**

**Muse: You're the only one.**

**Russel Crowe: You are. Everyone else thought I was awful. I'll get over it. (poof)**

**Siren: Well. I still think he was a good singer.**

**Muse: Review...please...sleepytime...**

* * *

"Daddy, Daddy, can we go outside now? Please?"

Kratos looked down. Lloyd was dressed in his pajamas, looking up anxiously at his father. Kratos glanced over at Anna, who gave an exasperated sigh.

"Go ahead. But not too late!" she added. "And wear a jacket. It's windy out there."

Kratos kissed her cheek. "Don't worry," he mumbled. He helped Lloyd with his tiny windbreaker and held out his hand. "Ready, Lloyd?"

"Ready!" The boy's chubby hand clasped his father's. "Let's go, let's go, let's go!" Lloyd ran forward, practically dragging Kratos through the door and outside.

"Calm down." Kratos lifted the boy and carried him, giggling, through the town of Asgard. A light wind blew as he took Lloyd to the highest part of the town, where they could see the sky clearly. He pointed up and said, "Do you see those two stars up there?"

"Um…" Lloyd squinted and pointed excitedly. "I see, I see 'em!"

Kratos shifted the toddler in his arms. "Those two stars are Castor, and," he pointed to the one on the right, then the left, "Pollux."

"Are they hunters like Star-Guy?"

Kratos smiled. "Not quite. Castor and Pollux are brothers."

"I don't have a bruddah," Lloyd said.

"And thank the heavens for that," Kratos muttered. He cleared his throat and continued, "They're actually twins, brothers born at the same time. You see, Pollux, the first one born, was immortal, while Ca-"

"Waz immordal mean?" Lloyd questioned.

"It means he lives forever," Kratos explained. "He can't die. But his brother, Castor, wasn't immortal."

Lloyd tilted his head. "How come?"

"How come what?" Kratos frowned.

"How come Pol-yucks can't die?"

"Well," Kratos searched for an answer. "I don't know," he finally admitted. "That's just how it was."

"Oh. Otay." Lloyd nestled deeper in his father's arms.

"So the brothers grew up together, and were the best of friends. They did everything together. They both became sailors and worked together on a boat when they grew up."

"I like boats," Lloyd said happily. "Hey, Daddy, can I be a boat-guy when I grow up?"

"If you want to," Kratos mused. "Now, one day, their boat was attacked. Castor was hurt very badly, and Pollux began to pray for his brother."

"Daddy, can I have a bruddah? To pray with?"

"Uh...not right now." Kratos cleared his throat. "Pollux asked Undine, the Spirit of Water, if he could give his life to his brother, so that Castor would survive. Undine, moved by the brothers' love for each other, decided to have them share Pollux's immortality. And so she joined the two brothers together and placed them in the sky together, so that they would live forever. She degreed that together, they would be known as the Gemini twins." Kratos traced the outline of the constellation with his finger. "Do you see? They're holding hands. There are their bodies, and-"

"I see their legs! Four of 'em!" Lloyd shouted and Kratos chuckled. "Hey, Daddy?"

"Yes, Lloyd?"

"What do those guys do up there?" He turned around so he could see Kratos' face. "Aren't they lonely? And bored?"

"Well, they have each other," Kratos began, but his son interrupted him.

"But what about Star-Guy?" Lloyd asked. "From yesterday! He doesn't have a bruddah to play with! Isn't he lonely?"

"Orion is right there, Lloyd," Kratos said gently. "…I'm sure if he gets lonely, he talks to Castor and Pollux. And remember who he has with him? His hunting dogs."

"His puppies!" Lloyd exclaimed. "I forgot about them!"

"Yes. I wouldn't worry about the stars being lonely, Lloyd," Kratos assured him. "Stars fill every inch of the sky. There's too many for any one of them to be alone."

Lloyd smiled and snuggled against his chest. "Tell me another one, Daddy."

"It's getting too late. If you're a very good boy and you listen to everything your mother and I say, I'll show you one each night. Deal?"

Lloyd narrowed his eyes and stuck out his lip, thinking. "…Promise?"

"Promise. If you're good," Kratos added.

"…Otay! Deal!"

Kratos smiled and turned around. Lloyd was still staring up at the stars from his father's arms. "Daddy?"

"Hmm?"

"Are there any cute little boys like me up there?"

"Cute?" Kratos snorted. He had to think for a moment. "You know," he said slowly, "I don't think there are."

"What else is up there?" Lloyd asked insistently.

"Lots of things. Animals, other heroes, birds and fish…" Kratos trailed off, watching his son's eyes go wide in awe.

"Aminals! I love aminals!"

Kratos laughed. "Alright, time for bed. Say goodnight, Lloyd."

He led his son inside, watching the little hand as it waved goodbye to the stars.


End file.
